Fantastic Friday

Remember the magic when you were a kid, and you woke up to discover the world covered in snow? That's what I got this morning. I had no idea it was coming and glancing out the window I felt just like a kid again. Three gorgeous inches of white stuff this morning, making the whole world look different. (I'd attach a pic, but you know how it is in the winter - go to work in the dark, come home in the dark.)

For some reason that euphoria stuck with me the rest of the day. Work is so busy and constant that's it's kind of fun, and I'm starting to get to know my new co-workers better and to really like them. And every few minutes I'd look out my office window and giggle at the snow flakes. Plus, because of a glitch in the phone system, I got out of having to talk to a particularly nasty customer and got to fax him instead.

And THEN, I got home to find not one, but TWO, TWO packages waiting for me!

This one's from Norway - the real Norway! (Not the town of Norway up the street.)

My Sock Wars assassin killed me with these great-fitting, and very warm socks!! Thanks Killer!

And LOOK what Lula's Mom sent me!!! What could be in that intriguing box??

Let's open it up...

FLOWERS! For me! And not just flowers, but IRISES, my favorite, favorite flowers in the whole world.

And a note with the flowers that made me cry and that I'm not sharing because it was a note for me. And a gorgeous card with penguins a-snugglin' each other.

OK, I've got to tell you, I think getting surprised by flowers out of the blue is pretty FAN-DAMN-TASTIC. I am so excited! I can't wait until they start opening. I have plans to poke at them constantly and ask them how they're doing, which seems to actually be working. (I didn't want to jinx anything, but FU Tree is still looking pretty darn healthy and I poke at him nearly every day.)

The flowers are to cheer me up - My Grandmother passed away last week, hence the blogging silence. I really, really miss her, but I'm grateful for the year we had to catch up on the past and to grow closer together. I think her passing was made as comfortable and peaceful as possible, due in great part to the caring folks at Hospice. What a wonderful group of people. They loved and cared for my Grandma as if she was their own grandmother and I am eternally grateful for that.

The pictures don't show it, but these irises are lavender colored. Lula's Mom - did you know that's my Grandma's favorite color? She would have been so excited to see them. So I thought it would be appropriate to put them in one of her vases. Erm....at least, I'm pretty sure this is one of hers. Mom gave it to me a few years ago and I think she said it was Grandma's?

Well, let's just pretend, shall we?